Last year witnessed a change of guard at the Centre and this was perceived to bode well for the roads and highways sector. During its last tenure, the NDA government had built close to half of India´s national highway network that has come up in the past 32 years.

Dr SHARAD MHAISKAR, Dean, Faculty of Technology, MPSTME, NMIMS, elaborates upon the design and construction of reinforced soil walls. Since the beginning of civilisation, man has been attempting to reinforce materials to construct efficient and economic structures.

The change of guard at the Centre bodes well for the roads and highways sector. During its last tenure, the NDA government had built close to half of India´s national highway network that has come up in the past 32 years.

The government has taken initiative to use coconut fibre or coir in the road construction activity. The National Rural Roads Development Agency (NRRDA) has approved Central Coir Research Institute (CCRI) as a nodal institute for application of coir geotextiles in construction of rural roads.

To study the reasons for the exit of GMR from a National Highways project, a meeting of senior officials, including secretaries and joint secretaries will be convened, Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Sarve Sathyanarayana said in Coimbatore on January 9 . GMR has exited from the Rs 7,500 crore project alleging delay in statutory approvals.

The Tamil Nadu State Highways Department is implementing road infrastructure improvement projects at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore, The State Minister for Highways and Minor Ports Department Edappady K Palaniswami, said in Coimbatore on January 7.